--- title: "Memories of Murder: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/memories-of-murder/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/memories-of-murder" critics_score: 79 critics_reviews: 15 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Memories of Murder (2003): what the critics said Critics' score 79 from 15 reviews: 14 positive, 0 mixed, 1 negative. ## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 30 October 2019. The critic calls the film a brilliant investigative procedural and one of Bong’s finest, still regarded as a masterpiece comparable to Zodiac for its handling of a grim true-crime saga. It highlights Bong’s singular command of tension, technique, and gallows humor, recommending it for a retrospective screening. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2019-10-30/critics-choice-memories-of-murder-bong-joon-ho) ## RogerEbert.com — Seongyong Cho Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 14 December 2012. The critic praises Bong Joon-ho’s film as a superb country thriller that uses its serial-killer investigation to expose the injustices and brutality of 1980s South Korean society under military dictatorship. It singles out the vivid recreation of the era, the dynamic performances (especially Song Kang-ho), and the mix of black humor, tension, and social critique. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/far-flung-correspondents/a-south-korean-zodiac) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 6 August 2003. The critic describes the film as one of the most complete and compelling to emerge from South Korea in recent years, a detective thriller that is mysterious, dramatic, creepy and corroding with a chilling twist. It praises the even-handed direction, character development, assemblage of clues and atmosphere while noting its strong domestic box office. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/features/memories-of-murder-salinui-chueok/4014450.article) ## Time Out — TR Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 21 March 2012. The review calls the film a huge critical and commercial success that fictionalises the hunt for Korea's first recorded serial killer. It singles out the plentiful gallows humour from clashes between local and urban detectives, Bong's brilliant multi-perspective direction, and tremendous performances amid the repressive 1980s context. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/memories-of-murder) ## Empire — John Nugent Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 11 September 2020. The critic views the re-release as a chance to appreciate the film's remarkable measure and control as an early sign of Bong's mastery, with compelling thrills, visual prowess and dark comedy. It singles out the gravity given to each murder scene amid the farcical police ineptitude. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/memories-murder-review/) ## IndieWire — David Ehrlich Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 20 April 2021. The piece argues that the real-world resolution of the case makes the film even more haunting and effective. It singles out the ending and the film’s blend of dark comedy with philosophical ambiguity about justice. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/memories-of-murder-ending-solved-bong-joon-ho-criterion-1234631471/) ## Evening Standard — Derek Malcolm Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 10 April 2012. The critic praises Bong Joon-ho for making a film that makes you laugh and shiver at once, highlighting its capacity to surprise through irony and absurdity rather than anger. It singles out the finely-pointed acting and the film's lasting impact as a portrait of a society struggling with horror. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/surprising-serial-killer-7381796.html) ## The AV Club — A.A. Dowd Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 29 January 2021. The review praises the film as a gripping yet eccentric police procedural that skillfully juggles tones while indicting the incompetence and moral failures of the police. It singles out the haunting lack of closure and the way the story casts aspersions on detective intuition. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/parasite-director-bong-joon-ho-broke-out-with-an-acab-t-1846148597) ## The Independent — J. Romney Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 14 August 2004. The critic finds the film a muddled, sordid procedural thriller that emphasises the unfathomability of the crimes and the incompetence of the police. It singles out the masterly closing touch that leaves a big question mark and enduring unease instead of conventional satisfaction. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/memories-of-murder-15-5356323.html) ## Sight and Sound — David Jays Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). The critic praises Bong Joon-ho's film for moving beyond the failed police investigation to depict fractures in Korean civil society during the 1980s. It highlights the blend of incongruous comedy and a sombre forensic examination of institutional failure, along with strong performances and atmospheric detail. [Read the review](http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/799) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 11 September 2020. The critic praises the darkly comic 2003 thriller as a fine accomplishment that subverts the serial-killer procedural through its depiction of inept, brutal and out-of-depth detectives whose chaotic methods compromise evidence. It highlights how the film satirises official laxity and arrogance while noting its real-world impact in helping identify the actual killer years later. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/sep/11/memories-of-murder-review-bong-joon-ho-breakthrough-serial-killer) ## The Times Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 28 March 2025. The review describes the film as a classic police thriller by the Parasite director, based on a real-life serial killer case, and notes that it won fans including Quentin Tarantino. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/memories-of-murder-2003-review-992mnqkxd) ## Slant Magazine Rating 1. 17 June 2005. The critic finds the film too beholden to serial-killer thriller conventions and lacking urgency or dread despite its Korean setting and occasional humor. They single out the ambiguous ending as a point of interest but wish the movie had strayed further from genre tropes. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/memories-of-murder/) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating A. 15 October 2020. The critic praises Bong Joon-ho for exploring how justice is an illusion and attempts to impose order create chaos. He singles out the impeccable craftsmanship and the way the film garners sympathy for flawed characters without exploiting the crimes. [Read the review](https://collider.com/memories-of-murder-review-bong-joon-ho/) ## The Playlist — Roxana Hadadi Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 23 October 2020. The critic calls the film Bong Joon-ho's exceptional crime drama and one of the best of its genre. She singles out its exploration of the shades of gray in human experience, the murky morality shared by accusers and accused, and how violence festers and spreads, infecting minds and perverting patterns. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/memories-of-murder-re-release-review-20201023/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/memories-of-murder.md